JAMMU: District collectors in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been empowered to grant Indian citizenship to eligible applicants residing in the two Union Territories, following the Union Home Ministry’s notification of the Citizenship (Third Amendment) Rules, 2026.
Under the new rules, district collectors have been designated as the competent authorities to receive, scrutinise and dispose of applications seeking citizenship by registration or naturalisation.
The move places J&K and Ladakh among the specified regions where district-level authorities will now directly exercise these citizenship-related powers. The other areas covered by the notification are Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, West Bengal, Assam and Tripura, with tribal areas in Assam and Tripura excluded.
According to the notification, the collector can grant citizenship after being satisfied that an applicant is eligible and is a “fit and proper” person under the provisions of the Citizenship Act.
The collectors will receive applications electronically and will be responsible for verifying the documents submitted by applicants and conducting inquiries considered necessary to establish their eligibility and suitability.
The rules also provide for the administration of the oath of allegiance prescribed under the Citizenship Act before citizenship is granted.
All applications that are currently pending before the authorities or committees that previously exercised these powers in the specified regions will be transferred to the concerned district collectors for further processing.
The notification states that an automated acknowledgement will be generated once an application is submitted. The collector will subsequently examine the application and supporting documents and undertake the required verification process.
The new framework also retains a requirement for applicants to appear in person. If an applicant fails to appear in person to subscribe to the application and take the oath of allegiance despite being given reasonable opportunities, the collector can reject the application.
The Home Ministry has also rescinded earlier orders governing the exercise of these powers, while preserving actions already taken or omitted under those orders.
The empowerment of district collectors in J&K and Ladakh is expected to streamline the citizenship application process by bringing scrutiny and decision-making closer to the applicants at the district level.
The notification comes as part of the Centre’s implementation of the amended citizenship rules and provides a defined administrative mechanism for processing applications for registration and naturalisation in the two Union Territories.
